Things you might not think about when studying abroad:

Hey guys! So I’m cheating today and will be blogging in English – it’s been a long day (to be explained). It’s now been three weeks of being in Paris, and I present to you my list of things you might not think about when you’re studying abroad:

1. You’re still a student: You might be in a different new city that has plenty of things to discover, but it is called studying abroad for a reason. Unfortunately, even once in a while you do have to take an afternoon just to study. On the bright side, you can always find a café for studying!

2. A dorm (or foyer) is similar to a dorm at your normal school: That is to say, you will have to buy things for your room, such as sheets (unless you’re lucky), towels, and even school supplies. Unless you want a bare room, you might also want some decorations while you’re at it. In addition, you’ll need pots and pans if you want to cook (for me there are some pots and pans available, but nothing there for baking, which makes me sad).

3. You will have bad days: Studying abroad isn’t always amazing and magical and etc. You’re still living a normal life, and that means you’ll probably have a bad day every once in a while. But when that happens, if you’re upset over something small, look at the big picture (look around you) – you’re abroad. That’s a pretty awesome accomplishment. Find something that makes you happy, whether it’s music, TV, or skyping with friends from home.

4. You don’t need to eat out all the time: If you have kitchen access, you really don’t have to spend that much money for food all the time. Sure, sandwiches from the bakery are great, but they’ll add up after a while. Just like at home, you learn to cook easy meals for yourself.

5. Studying abroad is a roller coaster experience: This was something I learned one of my first days here – I had some impression that the first few weeks would be the worst and then everything would be wonderful from that point on and I would never want to leave. While that last part is probably true, I’ve gone through waves of emotion. I got here and was a tourist for a while, then was stressed because of actual work to do, and who knows what’ll happen next. 

Studying abroad isn’t easy, but I definitely think it’s worth it so far. 

So now that I finished my list, I can tell you all about my time here so far. This past week has been pretty crazy and busy, with hanging out with friends and program visits. This past weekend Laura and I went to Champs-Elysées and found Ladurée, which is famous for their macarons (pictured below). I realized that most of my purchases here have been food, and I’m okay with that. On Sunday our program went to Chateau de Fontainebleau, which is a little outside of Paris, and is one of the largest palaces in France. What’s interesting about the palace is that you can really see the development of the kings who lived there. Each ruler added his own touch to the palace, and it’s all still there. 

Ladurée

Château de Fontainebleau

Today was also our first exam for our preparatory session – we were given two subjects, and we had about three hours to write an essay on each subject, with each paper being around 3 pages. The hardest part was the time limit – three hours is barely enough time to write two papers in English, so it was even harder in French. Also, the French have a specific format for their papers (called ”dissertations”), so we also had to learn that format within the three hours. Needless to say, we were all exhausted afterwards (having to do a presentation in the afternoon also didn’t help much). I’m posting a picture that IFE took of us as we were all finishing up.

I’m also happy to say that I now have decent Internet in my foyer, so I’ve been able to connect with the world outside of Paris. Recently I’ve been asked what I like most about Paris, and I figure it’s a good question to answer generally. Obviously the food has been absolutely wonderful, but honestly, I just love being able to walk everywhere. I walk to class almost every morning just to clear my head and to take in my surroundings. I’m getting to know the city by walking through it and discovering new areas every day. Elena and I were walking around after class today and she showed me this bridge in Paris that used to be a railroad. When we got off the bridge, we found this whole strip of art stores – like glass blowing stores, musical instrument stores, art galleries, all of that. This city has so much to offer, but the best way to see everything is to walk.

I think that’s it for now, as it’s been a long and exhausting day. I’ll work on the translation and try to post it tomorrow!

Dana

P.S. In other news, I tried my second variation of Orangina this past weekend – Rastaman, as pictured below. Considering it’s gone already, I’m going to go with I liked it…also I realized I post a lot of pictures of Orangina on here, so next post will be just photos!

  

Bonjour à tous! Je triche et j’écris en anglais aujourd’hui parce que j’ai eu trop de choses à faire. Ca fait trois semaines d’être à Paris, et je vous présente mon liste des choses auxquelles on ne pense pas quand on passe un semestre à l’étranger :

1) Tu es encore un étudiant : même si tu es dans un pays nouveau avec plein de choses à découvrir, tu es dans ce pays pour étudier. C’est triste, mais des temps en temps tu devras rester chez toi pour étudier. Pourtant, tu peux trouver un café et y étudies !

2. Un dortoir (ou un foyer) est similaire à vos logements à l’université: C’est-à-dire, tu devras acheter des accessoires pour ta chambres, comme les draps, une serviette, et les fournitures scolaires. De plus, tu voudrais les décorations et des casseroles (si tu veux cuisiner). 

3. Tu auras des mauvais jours : Etant à l’étranger n’est pas toujours merveilleux. Ton endroit a changé, mais tu es encore un jeune étudiant – si tu as des mauvais jours chez toi, il est probable que tu auras un mauvais jour à l’étranger. Pourtant, si ça se passe, n’oublie pas de penser à ton nouvel environnement ! Tu es dans un nouveau pays ! Aussi, trouve des activités qui te plaisent, comme la musique, la télé, ou Skype.  

 

4. Tu ne dois pas manger toujours aux restaurants : si tu peux utiliser une salle de cuisine, tu ne dois pas dépenser trop d’argent pour le déjeuner toujours. Oui, les sandwiches de la boulangerie sont super bons, mais à la fin du semestre, ils coutent trop chers. Comme chez toi, tu peux apprendre des recettes faciles. 

5.  Etant à l’étranger est vraiment un aventure: Celui-ci est quelque chose que j’ai appris quand j’ai commencé mon programme – j’ai pensé que les semaines au début seraient les plus difficiles, puis tout irait bien et je ne voudrais jamais quitter Paris. Même si cette dernière idée est probable, j’ai fait face aux plusieurs émotions. J’étais une touriste, et maintenant j’ai trop de choses à faire, qui cause de la tension. Je ne sais pas ce qui se passera au futur. 

Cet expérience n’est pas facile, mais il vaut la peine.    

(Je ne décide pas encore si je veux finir cette traduction...on verra!)